They are, quite factually, "the most-popular Sports/GT cars in automotive history". In sales numbers, no other sports car has outsold the Z and ZX cars. The Z was the very first car in history to sell 500,000 units within the first 10 yrs of production (1970-1980), and then (again) the first car in history to sell 1,000,000 units within the first 20yrs of production (1970-1990). That beat the sales figures of every other sportscar in the world (Jag, MBenz, MG, Corvette, Triumph, AH, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, Lamborghini, etc), most of whom had been in production for whole decades before the Z was introduced.

Along came this water-tight, sleek, spacious, affordable, higher-performance fixed-head coupe with Disc/Drum brakes, 4spd box, 4-wheel independent suspension, easy to work on OHC six cylinder engine, actual cargo space behind the seats, a radio, an ashtray, an actual heater and defroster, two-speed windscreen wipers, windscreen WASHERS, lockable doors and glovebox, secret hidden cargo wells behind the (adjustable) seats, roll-up windows, an ELECTRIC ANTENNA and built for the comfort of the average 6ft American, and the whole world wanted one.

I don't know why they ever stopped making the simple S30. It actually redefined the meaning of the word "sportscar" for the world at large, and for Americans in particular.

"A" and "B" Production Cobras, XKEs, Mustangs and Corvettes all out-powered the 240Z, yet Bob Sharp used the very first "C" -Production 240Z to beat them all in SCCA races around the country, putting the Z firmly on the sportscar map forever.

Your 260 is among the rarest Zs; made a single year, it was available as a 2+2 with automatic gearbox and air-conditioning so the whole family could actually use it, and it had arguably the best L-6 engine of the entire series. Stronger than the lightweight 240Z sportscars, your car was still lighter than the later 280Z GranTouring cars. It was the best of both worlds and afforded married men the chance to still own a sportscar practical for his whole family.

The Z deserves more than just a Thumbs-Up when it passes; it deserves whole neighborhoods to stop and render a solemn standing ovation.

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